CAF to declare new CHAN hosts after Kenya miss

Ahmad Ahmad (C) of Madagascar is congratulated by FIFA president Gianni Infantino (2ndR) after being elected the new president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Addis Ababa on 16 March 2017 (AFP Photo/Zacharias ABUBEKER)

The Confederation of African Football Executive Committee is set to hold an emergency meeting to announce new hosts that will replace Kenya as the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) hosts.

CAF said on their official website that they have evaluated the three countries that tabled bids to host the 16-team continental showpiece after Kenya was stripped of its hosting for failing to meet the required infrastructural threshold.

Morocco, Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia came forth as alternative host nations following the September 23 verdict that declared Kenya unprepared to host CHAN.

The last edition was hosted in Rwanda, with DR Congo beating Mali 3-0 in the final to lift their second edition of the continent’s second most prestigious competition.

In the same vein, CAF President Ahmad Ahmad on Wednesday confirmed that there is no change of plan regarding the host of the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.

His assurance came at a time when Morocco has been pointed out as a potential replacement for hosts Cameroon, with the burden of hosting the biggest football fiesta in Africa said to have outweighed the West African nation since its expansion from 16 to 24.

“At no time had any consideration been given to revisiting decisions already taken in conformity with the provisions of the Statutes and leading to the designation of Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Guinea, as host country of the next three editions in 2019, 2021 and 2023.

“Our role is to best accompany Cameroon, which organizes in 2019, in a new format, to properly fill in the list of requirements of the host agreement,” Ahmad said.

At the time of bidding, Cameroon was only ready for 16 teams, with the addition of eight more calling for two new stadiums.

In August, Ahmad stated Cameroon was yet to convince CAF of its ability to host the 2019 Nations Cup finals.